4 Minutes Left in Day 2

What to say about today?

Darkness and tenderness
Tears and hope
Crushing anguish and searing grief.
But love prevails and
God is sovereign.

Laughter in the hallway, tears in the corners.
Heavy burdens and tender mercies
Moments of blessing and the armor of light.

Today, tonight I lift the armor of light and wear it for another
Amen and Amen

30 Day Commitment for 28 Days

Try Something New for 30 Days, a Ted Talk by Matt Cutts, posted in 2011. As a  certifiable Ted Talk junkie during the spring and summer of 2011, I frittered away many an hour under the pretense of "learning," "mining for new ideas," and "pushing my thinking." Matt Cutts' piece stuck with me after the initial buzz.

Cutts' premise is that change sticks when it's small, manageable, and applied daily for 30 days. He offers examples of cutting out sugar, walking 10,000 steps a day, riding a bike, refraining from television. It's the wisdom of "one day at a time."

When I first saw Try Something New for 30 Days I was inspired. It was the middle of the month, so I chewed on my options and waited for the page to turn on the calendar:

• no coffee
• push-ups/day of the month 
• no sugar
• new vocabulary word each day
• take a photo a day (something Cutts did)
• go for a run every day

When the first of the month rolled around, I hadn't made up my mind about what to try. "One decision followed by action each day," might have been a good first challenge.

The first of the month lulled into the middle of the month. Indecision and inaction reigned. Another month crept over the horizon. Still no decision. Still no action. A third month and still no decision or action. By now I decided that what was a good idea was a good idea for someone else. No decision. No action. No commitment. I'm OK with moving on. I can accept my limits and my shortcomings.

Then last month my sister started taking a photo a day--something Cutts referenced in his talk. She had seen the video, was inspired, and did something (she's a better woman than I!). Her action prompted me to revisit Cutts' challenge and try something new for 30 days. 

(Deep breath. Inhale. Exhale.)

So, here it is. I'm putting it "out there." I'm going to write here each day for (a-hem, sorry but February is a short month) 28 days.

I'm not making any promises about quality of content. But I am making a promise to take action and do something that I say I want to do daily--write. Put out "there" some idea, word, thought that may or may not catch the wind. What's important to me is that I engage in the process and practice the discipline of writing on a daily basis.

Small steps on a daily basis = Behavior change that sticks.

Day One. Done.



Here's Matt Cutts' Ted Talk. Enjoy. What can YOU do for 30 (or 28) days?

Armor of Light

I've been exhausted by the trials and troubles in the world lately. Civl war in Syria. Rebels rising up in Congo. Fighting between Palestinians and Israelis. Loved ones struggling with health and history. Friends standing up against hopelessness. Congolese sisters and brothers thrown into insecurity and danger. It's heavy. It's hard.

Yes. This is Advent. Time of reflection and penance. But penance seems insufficient for the suffering and grief. I've been overpowered by anger, buried by sadness.

Yesterday I read the prayer appointed for the week (collect for 1st Sunday of Advent):

Almighty God, give all of us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Put on the armor of light. That's what struck me. That's what nudged me to move forward yesterday. And today. To put one foot in front of the other. To keep walking.

The armor of light. Light isn't always the breath, the sword of truth, brightness piercing the dark of night.

Sometimes light is heavy. Sometimes light is armor. It's defense. It's not healing. It's a shield. It's full-body armor against the ugliness and ruin and hatred. We have to pick it up and put it on. And it's hard and heavy. But sometimes it's the only thing we can do in the face of the evil and the ugly.

It's the only action I can take today.

End of the UCBC School Year

Preparing the grounds

It's a cool morning here in Beni. The city is just beginning to wake up. But there are workers, cooks, students, staff and family members of the UCBC community who have already been up for some time. Some have stayed up all night. Today is UCBC's 2nd graduation. UCBC has been a busy place these last weeks. Exams and deliberations, preparations for the General Assembly (Congolese board),and preparations for graduation for graduation have consumed time and focus.

And more preparations

UCBC is like any other school when it comes to graduation preparations. Grounds people have been busy cutting, trimming, and weeding, painting and cleaning. Faculty and staff have been correcting exams, organizing logistics, writing and practicing speeches, assembling awards and diplomas, and confirming invitations and seating arrangements. At 8:00 pm last evening, people were still the setting up sound equipment and chairs. Remember…there is no exterior campus lighting. Cooks worked through the night preparing food for the celebration. 

The General Assembly (GA) concluded its work yesterday afternoon. We met for three very productive days. The primary order of business was working through the CI-UCBC 5-year strategic plan. There was excellent discussion, learning, some adjustments and additions, and all-in-all a thoughtful process with God's hand at work.

GA members at work

One of the questions the leadership asked the GA to consider during its review of the strategic plan was, "Do the objectives and activities take into account the protection of the environment, protection of children, and equality of gender." As a result of that question, we decided to specifically articulate two new objectives (not the correct language, but here's the essence): (1) to be intentional in seeking out qualified women to fill teaching and administrative positions; (2) to employ universal design techniques in our building and landscaping to allow full accessibility to all people, regardless of age or ability; (3) to demonstrate environmental stewardship in our building and landscaping. These are important and unique intentions for this context. Men dominate the landscapes of teaching and leadership in Congo. Men hold the positions of pastors, administrators, mayors, parliamentarians, university personnel. Yet, CI-UCBC is a holistic answer to the challenges and opportunities of Congo. We have a 40/60 female/male student ratio. We are eager to bring more women into the classroom as teachers and into the offices as administrators, not only as examples to our students, but to encourage the creativity that comes from diversity. There is more to say about this topic, of course...but, I was glad we had this conversation!

The General Assembly

Articulating commitments to accessibility and environmental stewardship is also significant and unique to CI-UCBC. For the most part, people who are not able-bodied are stigmatized in this region. People with physical disabilities are shunned from the community, excluded from education opportunities, ignored for leadership positions, and often left without any means for their own support and care. Sadly, many people suffer physical disabilities simply because of lack of medical care that would otherwise prevent or correct matters that become life-long burdens. One of our own beloved GA members, Pastor Peter Amani, a wise, joyful, bright, compassionate elder, suffered the amputation of his leg after an otherwise minor and treatable wound resulted in infection and nerve damage. That CI-UCBC proclaims all as members of the body, and that CI-UCBC is going to be intentional in all of its practices to include, invite, make accessible its facilities and programs is yet another beacon of light in the region and the nation.

DRC is rich in natural resources. But those resources are being exploited in ways that damage communities, individuals, and the environment. From the beginning, CI-UCBC has envisioned as fully-sustainable and green a campus as possible. Now we have articulated that in our strategic plan. We recently received the full report and plans from eMi that will direct our campus development. In that plan are recommendations for a hybrid power system that includes solar, hydro, and biogas. There are also recommendations regarding building orientations to take advantage of sunlight (of which we have plenty) and natural breezes. But what makes this unique is that these practices are not part of local culture. In an area with seemingly endless supplies of water and trees, people use without consideration of future needs. These practices are no different from what the majority world has modeled over the last couple of centuries. We decimated forests in the name of progress and polluted our watercourses because there were plenty of streams and rivers and lakes. The same occurs here. That CI-UCBC is making a stand and setting a different example is yet another light.

But back to graduation...It's today. And there's great excitement. "To God be the glory."

Morning

This morning was cool and grey. A lilting fog hung in the air. Women and children filed along the roadside, bundles on their heads, loads heavy on their backs. Men pushed bicycles with loads of charcoal and wood. Moto drivers bundled up in winter coats.

The UCBC campus was quiet when I arrived.  John and Kapitula were the only people to greet me when I came through the gate. Kapitula, with his glowing smile, sang to the radio while he filled a bucket with water from the spigot.

The doors to the Academic Building were open. The tile floors, freshly washed, reflected the light. Jacques, one of the workers, hummed gently as he wiped the floor. At the end of the other hallway, Musiande sang another song. Someone outside whistled an arpeggio.

"God's mercies are new every morning."

June 13 at UCBC

Announcement

June 13 is now marked as a special day for UCBC. It is the day of tree planting. It is a day that, as Noé Kasali proclaims, “We will commemorate!” It is the day that 324 faculty, students, and staff each planted a tree on the UCBC property. Sadly, DRC is losing its forests to international interests and greed. It is also losing its forests to survival needs. UCBC’s own neighbors come onto the property to cut trees for firewood and slash and burn to plant vegetables. So we planted trees yesterday.

But June 13, 2012 marks more than just planting trees. It marks the spirit and ethic of Congo Initiative and UCBC.

Noé (L) instructs faculty about planting

The initiative began a couple of months ago when James, president of the UCBC chapter of Youth With a Mission (YWAM), approached Noé Kasali, Manager of the Student Work Program and Personnel Services. Through YWAM James and his peers had met a local man who was interested in donating 200 seedlings to UCBC. Within two weeks, James and the other YWAM members had made arrangements for the seedlings to be transported to UCBC. At the same time Student Council President Isaiah suggested a way for the wider student body to participate in a tree-planting project. Isaiah knew of a women’s organization in Beni that promotes environmental protection and raises tree seedlings. Isaiah negotiated and secured a donation of another 100 seedlings from this local group. “These groups were interested to participate because they knew we had a plan for our property,” explained Noé.

A tree planting event was coming together.

Tools at ready

To make the event truly memorable, it was important that everyone—students, staff, and faculty—be involved. The project needed close to 500 trees. Through other contacts and with a small budget, UCBC's Work Program and Land Management Committee purchased the remaining 200 seedlings from local sources.

So yesterday the planting began. Three hundred twenty-four students, faculty, and staff members were handed a seedling and tools and instructed where to plant. Students planted eucalyptus varieties around the property perimeter, to serve as boundary markers. Faculty and staff planted a variety of species, including acacia and croton, for shade and landscape on the developed portion of campus. Those who didn't plant yesterday will do so today. 

Everyone built barriers around their seedlings, as goats and chickens would otherwise enjoy easy snacking. Each planter also wrote her or his name, domain/discipline of study, and year here at UCBC on a piece of paper, and attached it to the tree. A method of permanently marking each tree is underway so that as the years progress, people can recall, “I planted this tree on June 13, 2012.”

Yup, I planted, too!

Sure, planting trees is a valuable ecological initiative. That was the beginning point of Wangari Maathai’s work and the initiation of the Green Belt Movement. But, as Noé pointed out, yesterday’s event marked even more. It marked student initiative and leadership. Students were the ones with the ideas. Students developed the plans and made logistical arrangements. The event also illustrated the power of community relationships and the role that UCBC students play in the local community. It was because of the collaboration and service that students have engaged that the various individuals and organizations were interested to donate to the initiative. The event reminded everyone that at UCBC manual work is part of our ethic. Faculty and administrators were out digging and planting.

And then there was another unexpected, added benefit. All six of Beni’s local radio stations broadcast stories about the event. The stations reported on the importance of planting trees and that UCBC and its students were setting an example for the community. The reports also noted that the people in the offices planted trees (a notable item in a professional culture that esteems one’s ability to sit behind a desk and tell other people what work to do).  Given that radio is the chief form of information exchange and communication, and that Beni’s radio stations cover a 50-60km radius and reach close to 1 million listeners, this is the kind of broadcast coverage that most PR executives would envy.

Yes, June 13 is a special day in UCBC’s history.

Chickens stay away!

Goats too!

For more photos, check out the photo album on Congo Initiative's Facebook pages.

Communications Classes at UCBC: Doing Education Differently

Last month communications students studying multimedia at UCBC had a unique opportunity. It was unique for university students of DRC, that is. Visiting teacher and photojournalist Anne Medley taught the class, Multimedia and Photojournalism.  Over the course of three weeks, students learned how to photograph, conduct interviews, write and edit a script, and tell a story from their community. The students worked in teams of 3 to develop a proposal and put it into action. One group of students told the story of Beni’s only woman taxi/moto driver. Another group of students produced a piece on an ironworker. The metal workers who forge charcoal braziers and pans—the local cooking appliances—were subjects of other stories. There was a piece on the pushcart drivers.

Students interview pushcart drivers

So, why was this unique? Because education in DRC universities is completely didactic and theoretical. Students listen to their teachers read lectures, and copy those lectures verbatim. Students memorize the notes then quote directly back to the teacher on an exam. The first opportunity students have to practice what they learn or to see theory in action is if they have an internship experience at the end of their studies. 

Anne shares student work as Honoré translates

Academic Dean Honoré Bunduki Kwany reminded the UCBC communications students how fortunate they were to have had this “hands-on” learning experience during chapel on Monday, June 4. Later that afternoon when I asked Honoré about his comments to the students, he confirmed, “Yes, journalism students in other universities never have a chance to photograph or develop pieces like this.” And then he told a story that one of UCBC’s communications teachers had shared.

Kaza, the teacher, was a communications student in one of DRC’s larger, national universities. His multimedia professor instructed the students how to film. He picked up a piece of notebook paper and formed a paper cylinder with it. Holding the cylinder to his eye, as if it were a telephoto lens, the professor explained, “When you use a camera, you hold it carefully up to your eye and look through it like this.” The professor slowly turned his head, scanning an imaginary scene before him.  He continued, “You have to move slowly while your camera is running. You don’t want to move too fast.”

“And this is not unusual!” Honoré lamented. “What our students have here, at UCBC, to use cameras, to use recording equipment, to work on computers, is unique to DRC." 

Students share their experiences

Yes, we're doing things differently here at UCBC, not just in communications, but in applied sciences, theology, and economics. As I write, for example, students in Wilfred Mushagalusa's Applied Informations class are creating databases. Students from DRC Realities worked with local community agencies last week to directly engage with their work. Yesterday, faculty, staff, and students planted trees on the UCBC campus. All of these experiences for learning, service, and work are unique in DRC's educational landscape. But they are distinctives that don't just make UCBC stand apart. They are distinctives that are cultivating the kind of ethical leadership and creative problem-solving that my Congolese sisters and brothers remind me is critical to DRC's present and future.